National Champs Awarded With SSC Swimmer and Coach of the Year
MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Sunshine State Conference has announced the 2024 men's swimming individual awards. Santiago Corredor and Jimi Kiner from the University of Tampa earn Swimmer of the Year and Coach of the Year honors, respectively. Florida Tech's Akos Hajagos takes Freshman of the Year accolades.
League coaches vote on the SSC Swimmer, Freshman, and Coach of the Year awards following the NCAA Division II National Championship. All-SSC swimmers were selected earlier this season following the conference championship meet, which was held February 14-18 at Florida Aquatics Swimming Training in Ocala.
2024 SSC Men's Swimming All-Conference Awards
Corredor, a senior on Tampa's squad, earns Swimmer of the Year honors for the second straight year following his performance at the NCAA championship. He claimed the 500 Free national title, was runner-up in the 200 Back, and finished third in the 200 IM and 400 IM at the 2024 event. Corredor netted 69 individual points at the NCAA meet, the highest for all male swimmers. With Corredor on their side, the Spartans brought home the National Championship trophy—a first for Tampa and the SSC.
This year, Corredor set the SSC overall record in the 200 Back, 400 IM, and 500 Free during the NCAA meet. Following the conference championship, the Fort Myers, Florida native was tabbed the 2024 SSC Swimmer of the Meet. In relays, the Floridian and his teammates now hold the conference's overall and meet record in the 800 Free Relay. Corredor becomes the third swimmer to win SSC Swimmer of the Year two or more times1, the first from Tampa2.
Hajagos is honored as Freshman of the Year following a fantastic season for Florida Tech. The Budapest, Hungary native capped the season with a runner-up performance in the 200 Fly at the NCAA Championship. The All-SSC First Team swimmer qualified for the national meet in the 200 Fly, 400 IM, and 200 IM, earning All-America status in the 200 Fly and 400 IM. In 2023-24, Hajagos totaled seven first-place finished and 14 Top-3 performances. He becomes the first Panther to be named Freshman of the Year.
SSC Records / Top Times | Men's Swimmers and Coaches of the Year
On the heels of his CSCAA National Coach of the Year award, Kiner repeats as SSC Coach of the Year by vote of his peers. The Tampa alum led the Spartans' program to the NCAA title and a third conference championship. Under Kiner's leadership, 11 Tampa men won a combined 47 All-America honors, and Tampa's program claimed its third SSC Swimmer of the Meet and SSC Swimmer of the Year honors. UT captured the conference's top time in 12 events this season and tallied five overall league records. Kiner now owns three SSC Coach of the Year awards and remains the first UT coach to win the accolade in men's swimming.
1 2+ SSC Swimmer of the Year Winners: Jeb Halfacre, FSC (2010-11 to 2012-13); Thiago Sickert, NSU (2014-15 & 2015-16); Matthew Holmes, FSC (2017-18 & 2018-19)
2 UT Swimmer of the Year Winners: Brett Saunders (2019-20); Santiago Corredor (2022-23 & 2023-24)